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Skatepark woes

Imagine a volleyball court being placed in the middle of a basketball court and having both sports attempt to play a game at the same time.

That doesn’t quite work, does it?

According to Owner of AMJ Skateshop Jarett Jones, that is virtually how the current skatepark is set up.

“… You have to think of a layout on a park too, ‘cause if somebody is going to skate these rails you’re going right into where somebody else might be skateboarding,” Jones said. “It’s not set up appropriately. It’d be like putting a volleyball net right in the middle of a basketball court and saying coexist. It just doesn’t make sense.”

Issues with the previous skatepark location at Veteran’s Park became too much, so the decision was made to move the park near the middle school onto an old basketball court.

“There were a lot of problems. There were fights,” Jones said. “I don’t think the public liked it because they’re around kids who are playing sports … and here’s kids cussing and smoking cigarettes, and it wasn’t easy for the cops to patrol it.

“There were too many complaints. The people who were out there, who lived in the area through other aspects, and I get it ‘cause I’m a parent too and I can see both sides of everything.”

Jones said he wouldn’t want his 11-year-old son, Anthony out there around those kind of activities.

The change in location happened a little over a year ago, and Jones and his fellow skaters are not thrilled with the new location either.

For the complete story, see the Saturday, April, 5, edition of the Wapakoneta Daily News.